Game 26 Preview: Adirondack at Reading

$5 tickets, $1 hot dogs, magnet photo frame giveaway

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (14-9-2-0, 30 pts., 3rd North) give away magnet photo frames, $5 Green Zone tickets and $1 hot dogs in their matchup with the Adirondack Thunder (13-11-1-1, 28 pts., 4th North) Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

It is the Reading’s third straight home game; the Royals are 1-1-0-0 through the first two. Saturday, Reading scored two goals in the third period and lost 4-2 to Wheeling in the annual Teddy Bear Toss games. The Royals will donate the collected bears to more than a dozen charities and hospitals benefiting needy children. Reading collected 2,344 bears.

The Royals are 6-0-0-0 against the Thunder this season, last winning, 5-1, on Dec. 8. Reading has outscored the Thunder, 30-14, in the season series. Reading won seven of the 11 matchups all last season. The squads face off 14 times in 2017-18.

Reading is at Worcester on Wed., Dec. 20 at 7:00 p.m. The Royals return home for a pair of home games before the holiday break vs. Manchester on Dec. 22-23 at 7:00 p.m. Season ticket holders receive a team license plate on Dec. 23, courtesy of Tower Health.

Head-to-Head

This is the best start the Royals have ever had in a season series against Adirondack since the Thunder joined the ECHL in 2015-16. Reading is 18-8-3 against the Thunder.

Matt Willows tops the Royals with 10 points (3g) against Adirondack. Ryan Penny had an assist in the last matchup and leads Reading with five goals in the series. Nolan Zajac scored Reading’s only short-handed goal of the season last time against Adirondack and has three goals and eight points in the series. Captain Derek Whitmore has three goals this season, all against the Thunder.

Reading’s Mark Dekanich is 3-0-0-0 against Adirondack and has allowed six goals. Last time out, he made 47 saves on 48 shots, including 21 in the second period. Thunder goalie Nick Riopel is 0-4-1-0 against the Royals and Drew Fielding is 0-1-0-0.

Last Time OutRoyals forwards Adam Schmidt scored halfway through the third and Brian Morgan also tallied in a 4-2 loss to Wheeling. Schmidt scored the Teddy Bear Toss goal to make it 3-1 Nailers. He has four goals in his first ECHL season.

Morgan’s goal was his first in the ECHL and provided the Royals with momentum in the final six minutes. Will King made 37 saves to defeat the Royals. Mark Dekanich had 24 saves in the loss.

Scouting AdirondackThe Adirondack Thunder have reworked their roster and remained highly competitive despite recent call ups and loans. The team lost D Matthew Spencer, D Mathieu Brodeur, D Dylan Olsen, D Kevin Lough to AHL loans in early December. To make up for the numbers crunch at the blue line, the Thunder signed D Travis Armstrong, F Justin MacDonald and F Evan Neugold. On Dec. 13, Adirondack acquired D Blake Thompson from Cincinnati.

Since the last game against the Royals Dec. 8, Adirondack is 2-2-0-0. Last game at Worcester, the Railers scored three in the second period to defeat the Thunder, 5-1.

Without leading scorer Ty Loney (loaned to Syracuse in AHL), Eric Neiley paces the squad with nine goals. He is tied with James Henry and Shane Conacher for a team-best 18 points.

End of the three-in-threeThe Royals finish up a stretch of three straight home games Fri.-Sun. Reading only has two more occasions this season where it plays three home games on three consecutive days.

In the final game of a three-in-three, the Royals are 1-1-0-0.

Through the nightSunday’s game is the fourth time this season the Thunder endured at least a 300-mile drive the night before playing Reading. The Royals have outscored Adirondack, 17-10, in the first three games. On Oct. 29, the well-rested Royals defeated the Thunder, 9-4, after Adirondack road tripped to Santander Arena through the night. It was the second-most goals Reading has ever scored in a game.

The Thunder also finished up a twelve-game road trip against the Royals on Nov. 24 and John Muse pitched a 30-save shutout in a 2-0 Reading victory.

Hero Night on Sat., Dec. 30The Royals will wear Captain America jerseys and meet your favorite hero on the concourse on Sat., Dec. 30 at 7:00 p.m. Reading battles the Adirondack Thunder, who will wear Ultron Jerseys.

Meet Jerry “The King” Lawler on Wrestling Night Jan. 5Meet wrestling legend Jerry “The King” Lawler at Santander Arena and watch the Royals battle the Brampton Beast on Fri., Jan. 5 at 7:00 p.m.

Santa Sacks Holiday GiftStuff the stocking with Santa Sacks! Get an autographed Royals puck and come out to three of our biggest games for just $30.- Sat., Jan. 20 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Brampton (Slapshot bobblehead giveaway, THON Night, Star Wars jerseys)- Fri., Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Brampton (Pink in the Rink, knit scarf giveaway)- Sat., Mar. 17 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Brampton (Yannick Tifu number retired, Meet WWE Million Dollar Man)- Sat., Mar. 24 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Worcester (Kelly Cup Tribute puck giveaway, Autism Awareness jerseys)- Sat., Apr. 7 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Norfolk (FANdemonium, fan appreciation, fan’s choice giveaway)- Call 610-898-PUCK and tickets are available here.

More $5 TicketsThe Royals are pleased to announce $5 tickets in the Green Zone to two more games in December!Sun., Dec. 17 at 4:00 p.m. vs. Adirondack (dollar dogs and player photo) | Thurs., Dec. 28 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Worcester (orange Royals jerseys to pay tribute to the Flyers on aPHILLYation night)- Call 610-898-PUCK (7825) and tickets are available here.

About the RoyalsThe Royals have been owned by serial entrepreneur Jack Gulati since 2014 and are in their 17th ECHL season. Proudly affiliated with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Reading plays in the Santander Arena, located in downtown Reading, PA at 700 Penn Street. The Royals won the Kelly Cup in 2013, have made the playoffs in eight straight seasons and are four-time division champions.

Reading Royals Mobile AppHead to the App Store and Google Play to download the new Reading Royals app on your smartphone! Stay up-to-date with team news, receive notifications and purchase tickets for your next experience at Santander Arena.

Broadcast CoverageAll Royals game can be heard on Rumba 1340 AM and the iHeartRadio app by searching “Rumba 1340”. The pregame show starts 15 minutes before puck drop. Watch Royals games on ECHL.tv. Reading away games are shown locally on BCTV.